Renationalizing Yukos and selling 20% to the Chinese is a nice "fuck you!" to the U.S. Anyone who wants to see more constraints on U.S. imperial power should be applauding wildly.
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I was driving home one night, listening to National Public Radio when I heard the news (or, I should say, a version of the news) about Yukos.
I smiled a small smile.
While I grinned in the blue tinted cockpit of my car, an NPR on-air personality was interviewing some fellow - one of those Russians who specialize in appearing in Western media declaring everything in Russia and its neighborhood an indication of looming darkness.
On and on this wanker droned about the "loss of civil society" and a "failure to respect international law and practice". He was referring to Moscow's lack of proper deference to the bankruptcy protection filing Yukos execs made in Houston (interesting choice of venue, oui?).
"I think Russia's taken another step back towards dictatorship" he said in the sad voice of a man waiting to receive his check for fulfilling clapping seal duties for yet another day.
There are certain, reliable themes that hacks pull out of their lint filled back pockets whenever they're called upon to speak. For Americans, it's the "loss of innocence" which seems to happen every few years as if on schedule. For Westerners discussing Russia (or Russians of a particular, ass kissing sort discussing Russia) it's the "step towards totalitarianism" or, a slight variation, "return to Soviet style tyranny".
I half suspect that if Putin were to take a keen interest in Playstation 2 games, long legged blondes or cute stuffed animals, this would be reported in the West as an ominous indication of a step towards totalitarianism.
.d.